Department of Public Service and Administration, DPME, Stats SA BRRR

Meeting report

The Chairperson noted that a lot of work was covered yesterday in amending the Committee’s Budgetary Review and Recommendations Reports (BRRRs) of the Department and its entities. The purpose of the meeting is to ensure the Reports reflect the input Members made yesterday and then to adopt the Reports. He asked if Members wanted to go through the Reports page by page.

Ms W Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) suggested the Committee focus on the key observations, findings and recommendations of the Report.

This was seconded by Mr D Khosa (ANC).

Draft Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report (BRRR) of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration as well as Performance Monitoring and Evaluation on Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) and National Youth Development Agency (NYDA)

Mr Y Cassim (DA) wanted to find out if the matter of the youth directorates in the different departments was verified. This matter was raised in Committee deliberations yesterday. The Committee could not put a matter in the Report which Members themselves were unsatisfied with.

The Chairperson supported this as Cabinet could not be implicated in the Report unless there was evidence of true reflection on the matter.

Mr S Motau (DA) suggested certain parts of the point in question be scrapped so that the point which remained said “the Committee learned with discontent that some of the departments were no longer prioritising youth programmes”.

The Committee agreed to the suggestion.

Mr S Mncwabe (NFP), provided input on the timeframe regarding the stimulus package, investment and job summit. There is public interest in these developments given recent, well publicised activities. It is important not to leave these matters open.

The Chairperson supported this and agreed these matters needed to be prioritised.

Mr Julius Ngoepe, Committee Content Advisor, indicated that the Committee has a very tight schedule this year. He endeavoured to prioritise the matter next year, between January and March.

The Committee agreed that the Department brief it at the time suggested.

The Chairperson suggested the relevant documents be packaged and made available via email so that Members can engage their constituencies during the festive season. The stimulus package, investment and job summit are very critical matters. A meeting should also be arranged on the National Development Plan (NDP) with National Treasury – it would be helpful to see how the three documents fit into the NDP and National Treasury.

Draft Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration as well as Performance Monitoring and Evaluation on Statistics South Africa

Mr Cassim then wanted to know if the matter of filling of vacancies in StatsSA has been clarified.

Mr Ngoepe responded that StatsSA informed him that there is no moratorium on the filling of vacancies which applied to StatsSA or any other government department. Treasury simply wanted to caution the departments in filling vacant posts. A StatsSA circular was then handed out to Members as evidence.

The Committee accepted this. 

Members made a few further, editorial amendments to the Report.

The Committee

Eventually, the Chairperson asked if there was anyone moving for the adoption of the report. Ms Newhoudt-Druchen, moved and she was seconded by Ms L Meso (ANC)

The Committee then adopted minutes of previous Committee meetings.

The meeting was adjourned.